Friction clutch



M. KATCH ER Spt. 14, 1937.

FRICTION CLUTCH Filed NOV. 7, 1956 2 sheets-sheet i INVENTOR rms Kutcher ATTORNEY A M. KATCHER Sept. 14, 1937.

FRfICTIoN CLUTCH Filed Nov. 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENTo Morris Katcher HIIIIIL Patented Sep-t. 14, 1937 Nitro STATES PATENT FFICE 15 Claims.

This invention relates to a driven member for friction clutches of the kind wherein the driven member is vinterposed between two parts of a driving member and is adapted to be gripped or clamped by the parts under sufficient pressure to impart motion from the driving member to the driven member. The invention is particularly desirable in a friction clutch for automobiles.

An object of this invention is toprovide means l which shall be sufficiently yieldable to effect gradually the friction grip between the parts of the driving member and the friction facings of the driven member. This is effected by mounting the friction facings on the driven member with springs behind the facings which normally keep them away from the faces of said member. For increasing the gradual taking hold, the driven member is further constructed with two sets of spokes which are out of axial alignment with each other and fastening the friction facings each to one set of the spokes while the springs normally keep them away from the other set.

A further object of the present invention is the combination of the above means with provision in the driven member for cushioning between its parts. This combination will provide a clutch that will very efficiently take hold smoothly and evenly.

The construction of the driven member for pro- Viding cushioning between its parts forms the subject of my copending application Serial No. 70,748.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon av further study of the description and drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of one side of the friction clutch member with portions of the hub spring housings and portions of the friction facing removed. Y

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial section to an enlarged scale taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial section to an enlarged scale I Fig. 8 is a partial section to an enlarged scale taken along the line 8 8 of Fig. 5 and Fig. 9 is an enlarged section taken similarly to Fig. 7 showing a modiiied form of spring from that shown in Fig. 7. v

As explained in my copending application, Serial No. 70,748, hub member 5 is provided with a hub 6, having keyways l for splining it to a shaft. The ange portion l1 of hub member 5 has a number of semi-cylindrical housings 8 pressed therefrom, which form a covering over openings in said flange portion, one of said openings being shown at I8. Attached to hub member 5 by means of shouldered rivets 9 is a plate member I0. Flange portion l'I of hub member 5 is provided with an annular recess into which extends the portion of plate member Ill that overlaps said hub. Each rivet 9 is iixedly attached to iiange II which is gripped between the small head of the rivet and shoulder I9, Fig. 2. The shoulder I9 of each rivet 9 has a sliding t in an elongated arcuate slot li concentric with thev hub, and the large head of the rivet is slidable with respect to the surface of plate i0 adjacent the slot. The sliding of rivets 9 in elongated slots II permits of a limited relative rotation between'hub member 5 and plate member i0.

The limited relative rotation between the hub n and plate members, together with the springs I2, as will now be explained, providea cushioning effect between the driving action of plate member I 0 and hub member 5. The outer portion of plate memberA EU is substantially in radial alignment with flange i1 of the hub member 5. The inner portion of plate member l0 is bent over from the outer portion so as to come adjacent one fac of flange Il. f

Plate member IIl is provided with a number o oblong openings I3 in which springs I2 are located. At the two short edges of each opening engaging the end of a spring I2 are lips I4. Along the long edges of the opening are curved lugs I5, preventing spring i2 from dropping through and out of friction plate I0. Housings 8 on hub member 5 hold springs I2 from passing 45 through and out of said hub member.. 'Ihe flat end walls of housings 8 are equivalent to lips I4.

Radial slots in plate member I0 produce a series of spokes 2| which alternate in position from substantially one face of flange I1 to sub- 50 stantially the other. In other words, the outer faces of alternate spokes 2| are out of radial alignment by substantially the thickness of fiange I1. In Fig. 4, one spoke 2| is shown up and the adjacent one down, the spoke in the up position, 55

as seen at the left handside of Fig. 2 is substantially on line with that face of flange I1 from which housings l project. The spokes in down position in Fig. 2 are substantially on line with the opposite face of flange I1 from that noted in the preceding sentence. The position of the down spoke is also shown for the spoke at the right hand side of Fig. 2. Friction facing I5 is fas-v tened to the top or outer face of up spokes 2i by means of rivets 22, while friction facing 23' through the openings at the ends of its major axis.

Spring 25 is made of one piece oi' strip steel bent over an itself as clearly seen in Fig. 3, Friction facings I8 and 2l are provided with recesses 21 opposite springs 25. Friction facing I5 is provided with openings 28 opposite the inner heads of rivets 24 and friction facing 23 is provided with the openings 28 opposite the inner heads of rivets 22. Recesses 29 are provided in facings I8 and 23 extending inward from their outer faces. The outer heads of rivets v22 and 24 are sunk in said recesses.

As is well known to the art, facings I6 and 23 are squeezed between the'driving plates of the clutch (not shown). As friction member In starts to rotate through the play provided by the sliding of rivets l lin slots II, springs I2 are pressed against by one of lips I4 and its adJacent edge of openings Il. The other end of.. said springs reactsl against the opposite wall of housings l and' its adjacent edge of openings I8 in hub member' l. Continued rotation of friction member -I compresses springs I2 until they de- `velop enough resistance to rotate hub member 5 along with said friction member. The inside radius of lugs Il is the same as that of the inside radius of housing I. This provides clearance for the spring when it swells under compression. When plate member Il with its facings Il and 23 is squeezed between the driving plates of the clutch, spokes 2| tend to be forced into radial alignment, and the facings are forced against the pressure of springs 25 against the spokes from which they are normally separated by said springs. 'I'he inner heads of rivets 22 and 24 then nest in openings 2l.

The flexibility of spokes 2| and springs 25 slows down' the speed of gripping of friction member III by the driving plates of the clutch, thus easing oif the suddennessvof starting of the driven member. `4

Figs. 5, 6, '1, and 8 show a modined form of springs and their mounting for normally keeping the friction facings away from the spokes of the friction member.

As explained above in connection with Figs. l to 4, spokes 3l are alternately out of radial alignment. As seen in Fig. 6, one spoke is shown up and the adjacent one down. Friction facing 3l is fastened to the up spokes by means of rivets, while friction facing ll is fastened to the down spokes by means 'of rivets 34. The facings are fastened to their corresponding spokes by two rivets at each spoke and are held away from the position on its spoke by being set in anl opening 34 in the spoke.

The facing normally held away from any spoke is in contact with a spring l5 at the middle portion of the spring. Thus in Fig. 7, friction facing 3i, which is'fastened to the up spokes, is held away from the down spolr'ev shown by spring 35, the legs of the spring being turned downward and setting in opening l5. In' Fig. 8, friction facing 33, which is fastened to the down spokes, is held away from the up spoke shown by springs 35, the legs of the spring being turned upward and settingin opening 35. Springs 35 are curled l at the edges.

In Fig. 9 anothertype of spring is shown. Here the legs of spring 31 contact the facing with slight inward curls at its ends.

Holes 48 are provided for the heads of rivets 32 and 34 to enter when the facings Il and Il are compressed. l y

` posite the other face of the spokes, and a spring vbetween the rivets of a pair for vnormally holdin away from each spoke said latter facing. u

2. A driven member for friction clutches having a friction facing fastened to one side of said member near its outer edge, and another friction facing fastened to the oppositel side of said member near its outer edge, a set of rivets for fastening one of said facings to said member, another set of rivets for fastening the other of said facings to said member, the rivets of a set being located in pairs with Vsubstantially greater 'intervals' between the-pairs than between the rivets of a pair, the pairs of. rivets of one set being between the pairs of rivets of the other set, the rivets of each set gripping its facing and the member without being fastened to the other facing, and a spring located between the rivets of each pair for normally holding away from said member the facing not held by the pair.

3. A driven member'for friction clutches having a friction facingI fastened-to one side of said member at intervals, mother friction facing fastened at spaced intervals to the opposite side of said member, and substantially elliptical springs located between said facings in said intervals and extending over each side of said member through 'openings in said member, a portion of said member coming inside each of said springs, for normally holding said facings away from said member.

4. A driven member for friction clutches having a friction facing fastened to one side of said member, another friction facing fastened to the opposite side of said member, a set of rivets in groups for fastening one of said facings to said member. ano her set of rivets in` groups for fastening the er of said facings-to said member, the groups of rivets of a set being located at intervals along its facing, the groups of the other set being between the groups ofthe first mentioned set. the rivets'of each set gripping its facing and the member without being fastened to the other facing, and springs for each facing located between successive rivets of the groups of its set for normally holding the facing held by the other set away from said member.

5. A driven member for friction clutches as claimed in claim 4, in which the springs extend between the facings through openings in the member.

6; A driven member for friction clutches having a friction member, a friction facing fastened to one side of said member at intervals, another friction facing fastened to the opposite side of said member at intervals, and plate springs substantially elliptical in form located between said facings in said intervals for normally holding said facings away from said member, said springs each having the portion on one side of its major axis substantially on one side of said member and the portion on the other side of its major axis 2'0 substantially on the other side of said member,

the springs passing through openings in the member at each end of the major axis of the springs.

'1. A driven member for friction clutches having a friction facing fastened to one side of said member, another facing fastened to the opposite side of said member, a set of fastening means in groups for fastening one of said facings to said` member, another set of' fastening means in groups for fastening the other of said facings to said member, the groups of fastening means of a set being located at intervals along its facing, the groups of the other set alternating with the groups of the former set, the fastening means of each set gripping its facing andthe member without being fastened to the other facing, and plate springs for each facing-arcuate inform extending between said facings between successive fastening means of the groups of its set for normally holding the facing held bythe other set-away from said member, the central portions of said springs contacting said latter facing, said member having openings thereinV through which the springs extend. f

8. A driven member for friction clutches having a 'friction facing fastened to one side of said member, another friction 'facing fastenedjto the opposite side of 'said member, a set of vrivets for fastening one of said-facings to said member, another set of rivets for `fastening the other of said facings to said member,` said rivets being located at spaced intervals along `said facings. the rivets of each set gripping its facing and the member without being fastenedto the other facing, and spring means for 'each facing-located in said intervalsv and unattached 'to said rivets for normally holding the ,facings-'away from vsaid member, the rivets of each set extending through l its facing with heads on `the side'of said-member adjacent the other facing,v-said other-facing having its material removed opposite vsaid rivet heads `to accommodate them when the.

springs are compressed.

9. A driven member for friction clutches as 65 claimed in'claim 8 in which enough material of the facing is removed opposite the rivet heads to produce holes clear through the other facing.

l date said springs.

springs for/normally holding said facings. away from said member, said facings being recessed on their insides to accommodate said springs.

l1. A ,driven member vfor friction clutches having two sets of spokes, the spokes of a set being in substantially axial alignment witheach other but out of axial alignmentiwith the spokes of the' other set, a friction facing mounted on the outer faces of the spokes of each set, a pair of fastening means upon each spoke for holding its corresponding facing against its outer face, said fastening means being unattached at each spoketo the facing opposite the inner face of the spoke, and a spring betweenthe fastening means of each pair and unattached thereto, said spring extending through the spoke, for normally holding away from the inner face of each spoke said latter facing,l v

12. v Afdriven member for friction clutches, friction` facings arranged on opposite `sides of said member, Vva vset of fastening'meansin pairs for fastening one of said facings to saidV member, said means being unattached to the other facing, another set of fastening means inpairs for fastening the other of said facings to said member, said latter means being unattached to the first facing, the pairs of fastening means of one set alternating around said member-with the pairs of fastening means of the other set, and al cushion l tached to saldi latter pair.

1,3. A driven member for friction clutches hav- 1 ingfriction facings fastened to oppositesides .of i said member and springs located atintervals along the inside of vthe facings for normally holdingv the facings away from said member; said facings being-recessed on their insides to accommo- 14. A driven member for friction clutches having two sets of spokes, the spokes of a set being in substantially axial alignment with .each other .but out of axial alignment with the spokes of the other set, a frictionv facing fastened to each set, the facing fastened to one set being unattached to the other. set,and springs located between the facings loosely mounted in theV spokes for normally holding each facing away from the spokes of the. set to which it is unattached.

-'15. A driven member for friction'clutches comprising a'di'sc having friction facings on each side of said disc and fastened to the disc, and springs located at intervals around the disc between the friction facings and the disc for normally holding the facings away from said disc, said facings being recessed on their insides to accommodate said springs.

MORRIS KATCHER. 

